We Are the Lucky Ones
by Stephanie Loss
Summary: AU - What if Doyle's Thanksgiving vision about Buffy featured more a crisis of the soul then the body? Buffy ep "Beer Bad" and Angel ep "Bachelor Party"


Disclaimer: I don't own Buffy or any other aformentioned character. That right goes to Jossy, Muntant Enemy, the WB, and TWENTITH CENTURY FOX. 0:P  
  
Author's Note: This is set season four. If you don't want to be spoiled, don't read it. This fic screws with every aspect of time in the whole Buffy/Angelverse. Okay, the Buffy eppy is "Beer Bad." Buffy leaves the "pub" even after Xander told her not to. The college guys never stopped her. The beer was poisoned... like.. real poison and not "I'm going to turn you into primals!" thing. She leaves, changes into something patrollish, and bam.   
  
Doyle gets his vision about Buffy a few eppies earlier... which is.. now. Angel runs to Buffy's rescue... and once again.., bam.   
  
We Are the Lucky Ones  
By Stephanie Loss  
  
He found her while she was patrolling the college. His dead heart lightened just by seeing her. There were few things that could scare him, but Doyle's vision was on the top of the list. The Powers That Be said that Buffy needed him, he came. It was reflex.   
  
He watched her, unsure what to do now that he had found her. He didn't want to bring up old feelings. She had a new life now, one that didn't need him. Spike, in all his prattling, had mentioned she had... met someone. He had no right to intrude onto what might be delicate ground.   
  
In the end, she was the one who decided. She paused, looked in his direction. "Who's there?" His soul wept with those words. The fire, the spunk in her voice was gone. The fire that kept her alive.   
  
He stepped out of the shadows and watched the emotions play over her face. She whispered his name, then flung herself against him, crying. He held her, reveling in the feel of her back in his arms. Her head was pillowed on his shoulder, tears damping the black duster he wore. Buffy controlled her emotions. Straighting up, she wiped the tears from her face, took a step back..., and smacked Angel across the cheek.   
  
"What? Did you hear poor little me got used, and ran to pick up the pieces? I would have thought better of you."   
  
"Buffy, you're..."  
  
"This is all your fault. Do you even care? If you hadn't left me, I wouldn't have turned to Parker. It's all your fault."   
  
"Buffy," He tried again, "I need you to..."  
  
"No." She replied, holding back another wave of tears. " I needed you. I needed you soo much. But, you left me. You left me so I could have a better life. Tell me, Mr. Old as Dirt Vampire, how long do Slayers live? What's my life expectancy? Come on, Angel, tell me."   
  
He turned his face from her and looked down.  
  
"Exactly. What's the use of leaving me so I can I have a future I won't live long enough to enjoy?" Her voice cracked. "All I've ever wanted is you. I can't move on. I need you. I love You."  
  
Angel turned his head away from the blond-haired Slayer. "We need more than Love." He replied bitterly. "That's our problem right now. We can't... control... ourselves... around each other. I couldn't stand to hurt you like that again." He turned back to her and stared hard into her eyes. "To see more pain in your eyes when you look at me."   
  
Buffy grabbed his face and met his rough gaze. "Then how can you look at me now? You hurt me worse than Angelus ever did. What he did to me, I could deal with. I could fight him. You just left. Without much of a reason." Angel's face crumpled. He took a step away from Buffy. Shocked, she let go of his face. He turned to leave.   
  
"So that's it, hu? You're going to walk away from me again? I don't understand how you can do this to us."   
  
"I'm doing what I have to do. I have to keep you safe. I won't let you get hurt like you did before."   
  
There was a moment of silence. He wanted to turn around, see her face, but he couldn't. If he did, there would be no way to go back... no roads back to L.A.   
  
"It's too late. You killed a part of me when you left. I'll never be the Buffy I was before. Parker took something from me when we... something that was yours." Her voice broke. "Oh, God... what did I do? God, Angel, what did I do?"   
  
He turned and grabbed her as she doubled over, crying. He pressed his lips against her temple while whispering, "Shush, it's alright. It's alright."   
  
"Don't leave me."   
  
"I never will."   
  
"Promise."   
  
"I do." 


End file.
